Bihar govt will continue to function under Nitish’s leadership: Samrat

Patna: Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary said on Friday that the state govt would continue to function under CM Nitish Kumar’s leadership, even as speculation grows over Nitish’s expected move to the Rajya Sabha next month.Speaking at a ‘Jan Samvad’ programme at Saharsa stadium during Nitish’s “Samriddhi Yatra”, Samrat said, “The govt in Bihar is functioning under the leadership of Nitish Kumar ji. Even in the coming days, the govt of Bihar will continue to function under his leadership only. I assure you of this.” Nitish, who is expected to relinquish the chief minister’s post after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha member, was present on the dais when Samrat made the remarks.Praising Nitish, Samrat said Bihar owed much to its longest-serving CM, who took charge soon after the creation of Jharkhand, a development that had stripped Bihar of more than 80% of its revenue. He recalled that when Nitish first became CM in Nov 2005, the state budget stood at only Rs 6,000 crore. “It is a testament to the CM’s financial management that the latest budget has now increased to Rs 3.5 lakh crore,” he said.Samrat, who is being considered as a possible contender for the CM’s post if the BJP leads the next NDA govt in Bihar, said Nitish had laid a strong development foundation. Referring to Saharsa and nearby areas, he said, “There was a time when Saharsa and the surrounding area used to become an island. When the B P Mandal bridge got damaged, it used to take years to repair it. The situation in Simri Bakhtiyarpur and surrounding areas was quite distressing.”He added, “Earlier, it used to take 4 to 5 hours to travel from Khagaria to Saharsa; today, the journey from Patna to Saharsa is being completed in 4 hours. A network of roads has now been laid in this area surrounded by rivers like Kosi, Kali Kosi, and Gandak. Hundreds of small and large bridges have been constructed.”Samrat added that before 2005, Bihar had only 17 lakh electricity consumers, while the number has now risen to 2 crore 16 lakh. He said the state now receives an average of 23 to 24 hours of electricity daily, and with free power up to 125 units, nearly 88% of consumers are getting zero bills.At the end of his 35-minute speech, Nitish responded warmly by walking up to Samrat on the dais, placing a hand on his shoulder, and asking the audience to tell him that work is being done in Bihar. Samrat stood with folded hands.Earlier, water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said, “Whatever NDA govt is formed, it will not run without the CM’s advice, so please give strength to the new govt as well.”Saharsa MP Dinesh Chandra Yadav told the CM, “You are going to Rajya Sabha. The people of Bihar are saddened by your departure. It was your wish to go to the Rajya Sabha, so we stand by your decision. Please continue to keep your benevolent gaze on Bihar.”